


About You Now

by Stvrryeyed



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, basically everyone - Freeform, wild child au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-07-01 03:55:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15766101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stvrryeyed/pseuds/Stvrryeyed
Summary: After a disastrous day at work, Taako and Lup end up in jail. With Taako facing some serious repercussions, the twins begin to worry that they may not be able to charm themselves out of this one. But then an answer is presented in the form of a school counselor; if the twins enroll at Balance Reformatory Academy, a last chance school for delinquent teenagers, the lawsuit will be washed away. Anyone else might view this chance as a golden ticket, but Taako and Lup view the school as just another place to run away from. Unfortunately, escape appears impossible with the schools high tech security. If they get expelled, however, they get to walk out the front door. Now it’s just a question of which twin will drive The Director crazy first.As long as they don't start calling the BRA home, everything will be fine.Wild Child (2008) AU





	1. Foundations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taako and Lup have spectacularly bad luck.

_ The Night Before _

When the first person got up to use the bathroom Taako didn’t think much of it. But then the patrons of  _ Sizzle _ , the restaurant at which Taako worked with his sister and his ex-boyfriend, began to get up from their seats in droves. 

Taako could feel the panic building in his stomach, something was definitely wrong.

“Hey, Lup?” Taako called out to his sister, who was in the freezer restocking. Lup could tell something bad had happened from the peculiar inflection in Taako’s lilting voice. She shoved the rest of the green beans onto a shelf where they did not belong and left the freezer in a hurry, shivering slightly.

“What’s up?” She tried to appear casual, but the sight of the long line forming at the bathrooms was enough to unsettle her. 

Taako checked his nails in a clear attempt to appear casual and jerked his head towards the rapidly forming line, “Why didn’t you tell me we were giving away free Iphones in the bathrooms today?” 

The corner of Lup’s mouth twitched, “Oh, is that what’s going on? I could have sworn it was-” 

Her snappy retort was cut off by the first cry of disgust from the line that had encompassed the near entirety of  _ Sizzle _ customers. 

If the staff hadn’t been paying attention before, they were now.

After that everything happened very fast.

Sazed ran to the phone and called 911, while Lup leapt over the counter that separated the kitchen from the dining area and grabbed a nearby garbage can for those that couldn’t reach the bathroom to vomit in. 

The rest of the kitchen workers and waitresses followed suit in an attempt to lessen the mess, but Taako stood frozen over the chicken breast he had been in the middle of preparing. 

With shaking hands and stiff legs Taako went to inspect the meals of the people currently hunched over trash cans and toilets. As he expected, they had all ordered today’s special, Thirty Clove Garlic Chicken.

One of Taako’s specialties. 

For a moment he thought he might join the vomiting customers, but then he heard Lup through the fog that had enshrouded his mind, “Hey, dingus! I could use a hand over here.” 

Taako’s head snapped up and he looked at his sister, holding the hair of a vomiting woman, and it was like he was broken out of the haze he had been in, “Look’s like you’ve got things under control over there,” Lup scoffed in righteous anger, she did not have it under control, “I’ll make myself useful over here.” 

His sister was obviously not happy with that, but Taako didn’t give her time to argue and turned to the customers that weren’t unwell, “Okay everyone, outside. Let’s go.” 

He began waving his arms around to gain everyone’s attention, once they started standing up he herded them towards the door, “Move it Little Jerry, you too Jerreeeeee. No! Stop eating, you idiot. Half this room is losing their lunch and you’re still eating? What the actual fuck Jerreeeeee.” 

After much more wheedling than should have been necessary, Taako managed to get the healthy clientele onto the sidewalk just as an ambulance pulled up and emergency responders poured into the building. 

The emergency workers kicked all the employees that were helping out of the building while they did their job, so Lup made her way over to her brother and they huddled together in the mid-October nighttime chill while Sazed hovered at Taako’s shoulder. 

They didn’t have to wait long before the police showed and started asking questions. Taako and Lup stuck to the back of the crowd, their life on the streets had given them a healthy distrust of police officers, but Taako knew what had to be done.

He waited until Sazed wandered off before he opened his mouth. 

“Lulu, you know this is my fault, right?” Taako stared straight ahead as he said this, boredom the only emotion showing on his face. Lup knew better though, she saw the way his hands shook from their crossed position against Taako’s chest.

“It’s not your fault, the restaurant just ordered some bad chicken, that’s all. We’ll need to get new jobs, but at least we don’t have to wear this awful uniform anymore.” 

“I look amazing in this uniform,” Taako sniffs, mock offended, “But for real Lup. This is my fault, only the people who ate  _ my _ chicken got sick. Renae has been tragically under-seasoning chicken all day, and nobody got sick from that. Although they definitely should of, did you see how little spice was on that last Arroz con Pollo?”

“Yeah I saw.”

“Tragic.”

Taako took a moment to refocus after his brief tangent, “Something had to have been wrong with this most recent garnish, it’s the only similarity between all of these people’s meals.” 

Lup shook her head, “Impossible. You’ve made that garnish a thousand times, and I know you’re a shitty cook and everything, but you’re not that shitty.” 

Despite everything, Taako laughed at the fact his sister called him a shitty cook, when in reality that was the one thing he considered himself to be truly good at. 

“Yeah, I’m not that shitty.”

\---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----

_ Now _

The police think Taako is exactly that shitty of a cook. Which is why Taako and Lup wind up in a holding cell the morning after the Sizzle Incident, as they take to calling it. 

Lup doesn’t have to be there, but she steadfastly refuses to leave her brothers side whenever someone suggests that she should waiti in the sitting area. It is that loyalty and devotion that earns the twins Deputy Hurley’s respect. 

“Hey you two. Brought you something to drink, it’s not much, but I figured you could use some tea. And it just so happens that my wife makes the best tea you’ve ever tasted.” The red-haired deputy holds a thermos out to Taako and Lup from the outside of the cell. 

Taako and Lup glance at each other and then level an identical stare at Hurley, “How about you instead give us an update on my release. Officer.” Taako says the title in such a way that it sounds more like an insult and Hurley blinks slowly, annoyed, “Well, Taako.” Hurley sets the thermos down on the floor inside the cell, “So far, only one woman has filed any charges against you. Which is good, in the grand scheme of things.” 

“What does that mean? What charge is she even leveling against my brother? Is she claiming assault? Or is food poisoning a capital offense now?” Lup says with a laugh. 

“No, she plans on suing for emotional distress.” 

“Suing us? For what? We don’t have any money,” Taako adds, incredulous.

“I think I’ve got about $2 dollars to my name,” jokes Lup.

“I just found a paperclip in my pocket. Think she’d be interested?”

“Oh fuck. You’re right, I didn’t even check my pockets,” Lup very dramatically turns out the pockets on her work khakis, “I’ve got a shiny penny and… some very nice pocket lint.”

“We’re rich!”

Hurley rolls her eyes, “That’s very funny, but she is serious about this lawsuit and considering the physical harm done to her esophagus, the judge is likely to rule in her favor.”

“But we literally don’t have any money.” 

This, of course, is a lie. The two of them have been saving up for years for an apartment in Rockport, the closest big city to the relatively small town of Glamour Springs in which the twins have lived for the past three years. They are only a few hundred dollars sort of their goal at this point, so the impending lawsuit feels like a cosmic kick to the gut. 

“Well, she is going to take what you do have.” Hurley says, obviously upset, “I know you two said you don’t any family to call, but isn’t there someone who can help?”

Lup shakes her head, “Grandpa Tostada was the last relative we had and I’m pretty sure he’s dead by now. Last time we saw him he called me Tostada.” 

Taako snorts, “Last time we saw him he called everyone Tostada.” 

“Fair point.” 

Hurley chews on her bottom lip, “Okay, let me make some calls. I’ll see what kind of deal I can swing.” The twins perk up at this. 

“Thanks, Hurley. That’d be great.” 

“Yeah, for sure. Cha’boy would not do well in a debtors prison.”

“Those don’t exist anymore, dingus.” 

“Oh, since when were you the expert on debtors prisons?”

“I don’t need to be an expert to know that fucking  _ debtors prisons _ don’t exist anymore, that’s common fucking sense. What? Do you still spell jail g-a-o-l? You think that old mental asylum off of Route 47 still has a bustling business model?”

“I get the point, ass-”

“Could you two not do this while I’m still around?” Hurley suddenly looks very tired, “I want to make it clear before I go that I’m not a magic worker. I’ll pull as many strings as I can and call in some favors, but this is serious and you will have to face some consequences.”

Lup locks eyes with Taako and grabs onto his hand. 

“Whatever the consequences, we’ll face it together.” 

\---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- 

“Oh  _ fuck _ no!” Lup exclaims in the face of the man who introduced himself as Merle Highchurch. 

“Absolutely not.” Taako agrees, crossing his arms, “I’m not going to school.”

Merle shrugs and pushes himself to his feet, “Well, enjoy being destitute then. No skin off my chin.” 

“Pretty sure that’s not how that saying goes, Merle,” Hurley says, she definitely has bags under her eyes now. 

“Look, kids-”

“We’re eighteen.”

“Good for you, when did I ask?”

Lup narrows her eyes, “Didn’t you say you were the counselor at this school?”

“What about it?”

“You seem pretty fucking awful at your job, my man.” Taako snips as he puts his feet on the table he at Lup were sitting at.

“And you seem like you’re out of options. The woman suing you has agreed to drop the charges if you agree to enter into the Balance Reformatory Academy immediately.”

“How kind of her.”

Merle continues as if Taako hadn’t said anything, “If you refuse to enroll she plans on suing you for everything you’re worth. It’s a weird deal, admittedly, but never underestimate the rich, middle-aged, white woman’s compulsion to be charitable. What do you say?” 

Lup and Taako consider it for a bit, until Taako breaks the silence, “It’s Debrah, right?”

“What?” Merle confusedly asks. 

“That’s exactly what I was thinking! The second I heard you were being sued I thought, ‘ _ I bet it’s fucking Debrah’ _ . She gives off such ‘can I speak to your manager vibes’.” 

Taako nods in agreement, “It’s the haircut.”

"It’s the fucking haircut."

Merle considers it for a moment, “The bob haircut she was sporting was pretty awful, horrific highlights.”

“Fucking Debrah.”

“Hey Lulu, didn’t you hold her hair back while she was vomiting?”

“I did! I thought it was dumb ‘cause her hair is so short. I can’t believe she betrayed me.”

Hurley places her forehead against the wall in the universal symbol of defeat and Merle looks at her nervously, “Okay, you two. What’s your decision? School or financial devastation?” 

“Well when you put it like that, school is the only real choice isn’t it?” Lup says with a small, reluctant smile.

Taako just shrugs, obviously not pleased with the direction his future is taking. 

“Alright then,” Merle claps his hands together, “Follow me, and we’ll get everything sorted.” The twins stand and follow Merle as he waddles out of the room at a surprising pace. As Lup passes Hurley, she hands the thermos over to the young officer. 

“Thanks. You were right, by the way, best tea we’ve ever had.”

“Of course. I hope everything works out for the two of you.” Hurley looks sincere in her well wishes, which surprises Lup considering how the pair has treated her during their stay at the jail. 

“I hope so too.” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first fanfiction on Ao3, although I have been writing fanfictions for years at this point. I'll try to do weekly updates, but I am a college sophomore so that might not always be doable. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed it so far!


	2. Let Me Think About It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins arrive at school and meet some new faces.

_ Six Hours Later _

The Balance Reformatory Academy is a big, hulking building. It is located about 40 minutes outside of Glamour Springs, halfway to Rockport, and entirely in the middle of nowhere. 

The building itself is a gray that looks like it was once white, but has faded due to exposure and just general dirt. It is shaped vaguely like a horseshoe, except squared off, with the ‘inner’ part of the horseshoe being a large field with stone paths cutting it into quarters. The paths are lined with flowers and meet in the middle of the field where an ornate fountain shaped like a cherry blossom tree sits. 

The middle part of the horseshoe looks older than the sides, like they were added to accommodate an increase in students, and has a large dome in the middle of the rectangular building. 

The whole complex is lined by a tall metal fence, seeing this worries the twins, who had been planning on escaping that very night. 

Taako thinks the Academy looks like a fancy old house that someone expanded and turned into a fancy old prison. 

Lup thinks the Academy looks a monster, just waiting to bite into her and her brother. She swallows nervously and leans forward, her seat belt unfastened, “Hey Merle, so what’s the deal with this place? Like, that fence looks awfully secure for a bunch of delinquent kids.”

Merle puts the car in park and turns to face the twins, “Well you two aren’t exactly the typical boarders. Most students here-”

“Oh god. Don’t tell me that the other kids are like total psychos, like nobody here murdered anybody right?” Taako exclaims, grabbing Lup and using her as a shield. As if there were murderers in the car with the three of them. 

Merle laughs and Lup smacks Taako, “No, nothing like that kid. The other kids here are pretty rich and parents only want the best for their little twerps, so Raven invested in the best security money can buy. You wouldn’t believe the number of kids that get caught trying to run away. Idiots.” 

He laughs like it’s a throwaway comment, but sends a pointed glance at the two teenagers in his back seat. 

Lup and Taako exchange a quick look, “Yeah, idiots,” Lup echoes. 

Merle pops his door open and lets out a groan as he slides out of the expensive sedan. His arm gets caught on the seatbelt and he swears loudly as he attempts to untangle it. 

Lup laughs, but crawls into the front seat to help Merle, who is only getting more stuck. 

Taako makes no moves to help and steps out of the car with all the grace that Merle lacked, “I think it’s too late for the arm Merle. Might as well throw the whole thing away.” 

It’s obviously a joke, but Merle seems to actually consider it and then reaches into his garish Hawaiian shirt and quite literally takes his arm off. 

“Yo! What the fuck?” Lup shouts as she tumbles out of the car to get a closer look at Merle’s arm. 

Taako’s eyebrows disappear into his hairline, “I didn’t mean it literally, my man!”

Merle just shrugs as he reattaches his no longer stuck arm, “It was a good idea.” He pops the trunk and puts the twins bags on the ground, “I’ve had this only for a few months now, I sometimes forget it’s not a flesh arm.” 

“Anymore non-flesh body parts we should know about?” Lup asks, jokingly. 

In response Merle pops out his eye.

“Fuck!”

Immediately after removing his eye Merle takes off towards the building and declares that the twins need to meet The Director. 

He is almost to the building by the time Lup and Taako shake themselves from their stupor and take off after him. 

Once they catch up to the surprisingly quick man, Lup exclaims, “You can’t just do that kind of shit.”

“You’re the one who asked!” defends Merle as he leads them through the dark, wood walled hallways.

“Yeah I asked! I expected a response made of words, I did not expect you to attempt to hand me your  _ fucking eye. _ ”

“Should of clarified.”

Taako snorts, “In my experience ‘ _ just answer my question, don’t remove your eye from your head _ ’ isn’t something that needs to be clarified.”

“No kidding! Hey Taaks, remind me to schedule an appointment with the school counselor to talk about the trauma I experienced today.”

“Sessions with the counselor are mandatory for all students,” Merle says with a smug smile. 

“Of course they are.” Taako mutters. 

“We’re here.” 

Neither twin gets the chance to ask where ‘here’ is before Merle throws open a door and reveals a tall, dark-skinned woman standing behind a big wooden desk. 

She’s intimidatingly graceful, with a long neck and a elegant tilt to her nose. Her hair is cropped close to her head and is a stark white color, even though her face is unlined. 

Her regal air is somewhat ruined by the sheer amount of clutter in the office, every surface has a leather bound book on it, from the chairs to the window sills. 

The windows are covered by heavy drapes that don’t move an inch despite the fact that the windows are wide open and a stiff breeze is filling the room. Any book that is on the top of its stack is fluttering in the wind, creating an odd effect that makes them almost look like a swarm of butterflies. 

The woman blinks at them for a moment and then a polite smile makes its way onto her face, “You must be Taako and Lup, Merle told me about your situation,” she sits in the grand leather armchair behind her desk and gestures to the chairs across from her, “Please sit.”

“I would, my dude, but it looks like your books stole my seat.” Taako points his umbrella at the stack of books in the chairs Lup and him were supposed to inhabit. 

The Director winces, “My apologies, I was working on a research project and it seems to have gotten away from me.” She stands up and folds her hands behind her back awkwardly, “I suppose we can do this standing. My name is Lucretia, but the students here call me The Director, as you should too.” 

“For sure, Luce.” 

“That’s not...” Lucretia sighs, “That’s the opposite of what I just said you should do.”

“Oh right. My bad.” Taako does not look apologetic and Lup is forced to hide her smile behind her hand. 

“The Balance Reformatory Academy is a chance for the two of you to start anew, the staff here expects you to use this opportunity to its fullest potential. The courses are rigorous and you are to participate to the full extent of your ability.” The Director glances between the pair, looking for some signal of affirmation, she gets none, “However, since we do not have a good grasp of said ability we will need you two to take some placement exams.”

Lucretia reaches into her desk and emerges with two folders which she hands to Merle, who has been uncharacteristically quiet, “In these folders are placement tests for our English, Math, Social Studies, and Science courses. After taking them you will sit and sign up for classes, including three electives of your choosing. Please choose wisely, we pride ourselves on our engaging courses and do our best to avoid any ‘blow-off’ classes. There will be no easy A’s.” 

Taako rolls his eyes dramatically and crosses his arms, “Fucking love that movie.”

Lucretia looks confused, “Language Taako, you are in front of two staff members.” 

“Oh fuck, sorry.” 

Lup laughs aloud at that.

The Director rubs her forehead and frowns deeply, “Taako, because it is your first day on campus I will not assign you detention, but if you curse again I will be forced to take action.” she sits down and raise her eyebrows imploringly, “Understood?”

“Understood, Madame Director.” 

“Good, that will be all for now. Merle if you would escort them next door?”

“‘Course Lucretia.”

“ _ Merle _ .”

“Whoops, sorry Director.”

Lucretia looks very tired as she slumps back into her chair, Taako can’t help but grin in victory. Lup smiles at her brother and keeps her worried thoughts about the upcoming tests to herself. 

\---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- 

They are seperated for the actual testing part. Taako is dropped off in a beige room with two windows and two desks. Sitting at one of the desks is a grumpy looking man who introduces himself as Leon the librarian.

He does not look happy to see Taako. 

Lup smirks at her brother as Merle shows her to the room next door, that room is much the same, except it has some old curtains that vaguely resemble the ones in Lucretia’s office. 

Sitting at a desk is a man, who looks only a few years older than the twins, despite the fact his hairline has already started to recede. 

He shoots to his feet when Merle and Lup enter the room, “Hi!” Lup glances at the man and smirks slightly, he blushes and extends his hand, “I’m Barry.” 

“Lup.”

“I know, The Director told me about you and your brother. All good things!” An awkward silence settles among the three, Barry blushes again and speaks, “I’m going to administrate your tests.”

“I know.” 

Merle coughs, “Well, you’re gonna need these.” He drops them on the desk Barry had been sitting at, “See ya around kid.” 

“Hopefully not too soon, I was not joking when I said you popping your eye out of your head was deeply disturbing.”

“All in a day’s work.” Merle says as he leaves the room.

“No! That’s literally the opposite of your job!” shouts Lup at the rapidly closing door. 

Barry coughs and gestures to the empty desk, “We have a lot of these to get through, you’re gonna want to start now if you want to finish at a decent hour.” Lup sighs, but takes a seat. 

Barry places a Scantron sheet, a pencil, and a thick question booklet in front of her, “We’ll start with math, you have an hour to finish and it’s recommended you use that whole time.” He adjusts the glasses on his face, “Good luck.”

All things considered, namely her relative lack of schooling, Lup finds the test almost absurdly easy. Of course there is stuff she doesn’t know, but it’s few and far between. 

About forty five minutes in, and three questions from being done, Lup looks up from her test and studies Barry.

“So what’s your deal my man? Like you obviously are too old to be a student and you look too young to be a teacher. So why are you here?” 

Barry looks conflicted, “You really shouldn’t be talking during the test.”

“It’s not like I’m cheating, plus I’m almost done so you don’t have to worry about me not ‘reaching my full potential’ or whatever.”

He folds his hands on the desk and clears his throat, “Well, I’m a Student Teacher, that’s why I’m here in this room with you actually. I do the stuff the other teachers don’t want to. Not that they didn’t want to meet you! They’re just teaching at the moment.” 

“A Student Teacher, huh?” Lup leans back in her chair, “So you want to be a teacher someday?”

“A professor actually, I’m hoping to have more of a focus on research than actual teaching, but since I will be teaching at some point, I figured this was a good opportunity. Lucretia helped me get the job, we’ve been friends for a while. Well, not necessarily friends, she used to babysit me.”

Lup laughs at the mental image of The Director babysitting the grown man in front of her and Barry can’t help but join in. Lup has a contagious laugh, which Barry is most certainly not immune to. 

“Okay, you should probably work on that test now. If Leon hears us laughing in here he will march in here.”

“God forbid.” Nevertheless, Lup does refocus on the test in front of her, but not before shooting Barry a sweet smile.

He sends her an awkward smile in return and Lup decides in that moment that Barry isn’t bad.

Not bad at all. 

\---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- 

Lup and Taako are reunited after Barry and Leon finish grading their tests. Leon heads back to the library with a sharp glare sent in Taako’s direction. 

“What did you do to him? He looks like he wants your head hung on his wall.”

Taako flips his long blond braid over his shoulder, “My pencil broke.”

Lup raises a skeptical eyebrow at her brother.

“23 times.”

“You broke your pencil 23 times? Why?” Barry asks, but Lup just laughs.

“It was an accident. All 23 times were accidents. Especially time number 16, the lead hit Leon in the forehead that time.”

“Jesus Taako, you’re making it your mission to get the faculty to hate you, huh?” 

“I don’t know what you are talking about. This is just my personality.” Lup snorts and looks up at the ceiling, “Don’t we have classes to schedule anyhow?”

“Oh yeah! What are the results of those tests Barry? Is Taako as much of a hopeless idiot as I’ve always suspected?”

“Honestly, I’m just surprised you took the tests at all Lulu, considering that you’re illiterate and everything.” 

Lup punches Taako in the arm for that one. 

“I’ll go over the results with you, we just have to go to the computer lab so I can actually enroll you in your classes. I’m Barry by the way, Barry Bluejeans.” 

Lup’s breath gets caught in her throat and she exchanges a flabbergasted look with her brother, “Did you just say your last name is  _ Bluejeans _ ? As in the item of clothing?” Barry looks slightly embarrassed, but instead of wilting he stands straighter and looks at Taako, “And your name is Taako, but I wasn’t going to say anything about that.” 

“Touche, Barold.”

The two boys exchange a nod of respect and Barry directs them to a room not too far from The Director’s office. There is one other person in the room when they arrive, she is a short girl with hair dyed bright blue who waves kindly at Barry and smiles at the twins. Barry waves back, but says nothing. The three of them take seats around the largest computer in the room and Barry logs in after a few failed password attempts, “Okay, so you both passed all four tests so you don’t have to be enrolled in any remedial courses. Which is good.”

“Natch. Lulu and I are much smarter than we look.” 

“At least I am.”

“Fuck you.”

It takes them an hour to hammer out Taako and Lup’s schedules to a point where they are both content. Somehow Barry manages it. 

“Well, that’s it, tomorrow you start school. How do you guys feel?”

“We’re fucking ecstatic Barold.” Taako does not look or sound fucking ecstatic. 

“Yeah, ecstatic.” 

\---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----

Taako’s Schedule: 

8:10-9:05 

Study Hall

9:10-10:05

Art History  

10:10-11:05

Elementary Statistics 

11:10-12:00

Lunch

12:05-1:00

Honors Anatomy

1:05-2:00

Honors English 

2:05-3:00 

International Foods

3:05-4:00

Honors French 

 

Lup’s Schedule

8:10-9:05 

Study Hall

9:10-10:05

Physics  

10:10-11:05

English 

11:10-12:00

Lunch

12:05-1:00

Honors Anatomy

1:05-2:00

Psychology 

2:05-3:00 

International Foods

3:05-4:00

Physical Education 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I included their schedules because if I were you I would want to know what those were lol. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and feel free to tell me your thoughts!  
> If you have any ideas for this fic let me know: I'm on instagram @bogarts_cricket (excuse the mediocre art!)
> 
> Also, I'm pretty lazy so I probably won't fix the formatting issues that occur when I copy and paste this fic in from the google doc where I write it. Sorry about that! I hate it too!


	3. You Think I Don't Care

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taako and Lup meet the roommates. Taako gets some bad news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up: some talk of death at the end of the chapter.

Barry leads Taako and Lup to her room first. The staircase that the trio takes is spiraled and very narrow, Lup cannot help but feel crowded in the tight space, she’s never been a big fan of tight spaces. Or stairs. But that’s less phobia and more logic. 

Taako wrinkles his nose at the decor in the hallways, or rather the lack of decor, and the wood paneled walls that have been badly whitewashed. The whole space looks as if someone gave up halfway through renovations. 

The girls rooms are located on the top floor of the right wing of the school building, while the boys are in the left wing. Neither twin is very excited with the fact that they will be so far away from each other.  

They don’t hesitate to make their displeasure known. 

“Listen Barold,” starts Taako, “Lulu and I have slept in the same room since we were born. I can count the hours by her snores, her predictable bladder is quite literally the only reason I wake up on time, without her I’d sleep for two days straight. Probably.” Taako pauses briefly to consider that thought and then bursts into over-dramatized hand waving, “No! I take that back, I’d defo sleep for two days straight. There is abso-fucking-lutely no way that we can survive at opposite ends of the building. Isn’t that right Lup?”

Lup shrugs, “There was that time you ate some bad mushrooms and forgot I existed, remember? We slept apart for two whole days that time.” 

Taako gapes at her, “Those were extenuating circumstances so it doesn’t count. And if you think about it that only supports what I was saying because I didn’t go to work either of those days.” He sends Barry a pointed look, “My point still stands, we should be in the same room.” 

“You didn’t go to work because you were high out of your mind!” 

“Your point being?”

Barry rubs the back of his neck awkwardly, jumping into the conversation before Lup can retort, “That’s really not school policy, besides you’re gonna be rooming with other people and they might not be comfortable with that arrangement. You understand, right?” To his credit, Barry really does look apologetic, but there is also a firmness to the set of his mouth that tells Taako he is unlikely to budge on this. 

That doesn’t mean Taako is going to stop trying. 

“A fancy boarding school like this and we don’t get our own rooms? That’s bullshit and you know it.” Taako tosses his hair and waves off Barry’s stuttering, “Don’t worry about it my man, I’ll just sleep in there with Lup.”

Lup stands silently watching the exchange, impressed with Barry’s resistance to Taako’s steamroller personality. 

“There’s other girls in there Taako, you can’t live with them.”

Taako and Lup share an incredulous look, “Barold. I’m gay.”

Barry flushes a bright red and stutters out an apology that Lup cuts off with a choked laugh and a hand held aloft. 

“I can’t believe you didn’t know. Taako is wearing a rainbow striped crop top, and he has pride flag pins in his Crocs.” Lup doubles over in laughter as Taako lifts his leg up so the mentioned yellow Crocs can be seen in all their glory. 

“I’m sorry Taako, I wasn’t really paying attention.”

“Clearly, my man. I dunno whether to be offended or take you the eye doctor.” 

The door they were standing in front of creaks open and a large, muscular girl is revealed. Her dark hair is cut bluntly at her chin and her bangs hang into her eyes, which does not seem to bother her much. Lup is struck by the size of her forearms, which are about the size of Lup’s head. 

Taako gets the feeling this girl could crush him without trying. Maybe living with Lup wasn’t the best idea. 

“I’m assuming you’re the new girl.” It’s definitely not a question. When she opens her mouth the twins can see she has a tooth that nearly catches her lip as she speaks. 

“Oh, that’s her alright.” A familiar face pushes the door open even farther and smiles brightly at everyone. It’s the girl with the blue hair from the computer lab, “Welcome to your new home! My name is Carey and this is Killian.” Killian reluctantly steps away from the door at Carey’s urging to allow Lup entrance. 

Before Taako can follow his sister into the new room, Barry places a hand on his shoulder and smiles kindly, “Sorry Taako, it’s getting pretty late and I have to get you to your room before curfew.”

“For sure my man. Wouldn’t want to get you in trouble,” Taako says that in such a way that implies he doesn’t really care if Barry ends up in hot water or not, “But this is sort of a big moment and I’d really love it if you’d unhand me so I could say my goodbyes.”

Barry releases Taako as if he’d burned him, “You’re a peach.”

Taako maneuvers around Barry and strides into the dorm as if he owned it. It’s longer than it is wide, with more whitewashed walls. There is one large window at the end of the room, across from the door, that looks out over the front lawn. Taako likes the look of the window seat, not that he’d ever admit it. 

The girl named Carey is standing on top of her bed and gesturing wildly at what Taako assumes is meant to be Lup’s bed, but Lup isn’t even watching because Killian is explaining the rules of the BRA and her shoulders are so wide Lup can’t see around her. 

Taako runs a finger along the top of the dresser and frowns at the dust that he finds, “When was the last time someone dusted in here? Lup has seasonal allergies! This is practically a sneezing minefield!”

Lup scoffs and rolls her eyes, somehow she manages to make the gesture fond, “I haven’t had a problem with my allergies since we were four.”

Taako blushes lightly, “I know that, but one can’t be too careful, little sister.”

“You are not older than me!” 

For a moment the twins just glare at one another, but then both of their expressions fade into something softer.

“Get over here dingus,” Lup opens her arms to Taako.

Indecision flickers over Taako’s face and his eyes shift towards their audience. Carey is studying her shoes fiercely, Barry is very obviously not looking at them, and Killian just looks pissed that her explanation of the rules got cut off. 

Taako gives in and wraps his sister in a tight hug before leaving the room at a brisk pace. He shouts, “See you tomorrow goofus!” over his shoulder as he flicks Lup off. 

The last thing he hears of his sister that night is her sharp bark of laughter. 

Barry jogs to catch up with Taako’s quick walk, “Hey Taako, I’m sorry that you couldn’t be in the same room as your sister. If it helps any, Carey and Killian are good people. They play field hockey, and participate in class, and aren’t here for any violent reasons.” 

Taako stops suddenly and Barry has to launch himself sideways to avoid running into him, “But there’s people here that are violent? Merle said there were no murderers here, don’t you dare tell me he lied to me.”

“Umm… yes?” Barry starts walking away from Taako down the hallway, leaving Taako standing alone until he is spurred into motion. 

“Barold! What the fuck? That wasn’t even an answer!”

“Nobody’s dangerous or anything like that, this is a school for delinquents, not felons. We consider a history of fighting violent, but that doesn’t necessarily make someone dangerous.”

Taako still looks wary, “It kind of does my dude. God, I feel bad for anyone who has to room with a fighter.” 

Barry winces, avoiding eye contact with Taako as he stops and knocks on a door. 

“Barold. Please tell me I’m not rooming with a felon.”

“You’re not rooming with a felon.” Taako opens his mouth to ask another question, but is interrupted by the door opening.

The boy standing in the doorway is massive, almost as big as Killian. He has dark red hair with insane sideburns for a high schooler, or anyone really, and a white scar splits his right eyebrow. Overall it’s a very intimidating sight, until Taako notices that he’s wearing a onesie with a goldfish pattern. 

Barry makes eye contact with Taako and smiles briefly at the boy in the door, “Well, looks like that’s all I had to do.” He claps his hand together, “Night Taako!” 

Taako watches him race off down the hallway with an incredulous look on his face. When he turns back to his new roommate the boy is smiling so wide Taako is momentarily worried that he can unhinge his jaw like a snake. 

“Welcome to the BRA! I’m Magnus Burnsides and that...,” he steps out of the way so Taako can see into the room, “... is Lucas Miller. He’s our other roommate, but he’s basically never in the room so he’s really more like an outdoor cat.” 

Lucas looks offended by that comparison. He doesn’t cut nearly as impressive a figure as Magnus does: his hair is sandy brown, his skin is pasty from little sun exposure (at least that’s want Taako assumes),  and his absurd glasses take up most of his face. 

A typical nerd. 

Taako strolls into the room and takes stock of what he has to work with, “Hey Mags.”

“What’s up, roomie?” 

“First of all, don’t call me that.”

“Can do.”

“Second, are we allowed to paint the walls in here?”

“No, I built a really sick custom built-in for our room, but when The Director found out she made me take it out. We can make cosmetic changes though, that’s why I have so many ducks.”

Taako glances over at Magnus’s corner of the room and sure enough, there’s a metric shit ton of carved, wooden ducks. 

If Magnus is violent, he’s unlike any meathead asshole that Taako’s seen. 

“Great, so we’re basically in jail,” Taako heaves a massive sigh and flops onto his bed rather dramatically. 

“Hey man, I know it seems shitty right now, but this place is actually really cool. Before the BRA I was headed nowhere fast, except jail probably, but this place has a sort of magic to it I can’t expla-”

“Listen, compadre. If I wanted a speech I would have read the brochure.”

“I’m just trying to help. You don’t have to jump down my throat, especially since you haven’t even introduced yourself yet.” 

“My name’s Taako and I want to know the fastest way through those gates.” 

“A body bag.”

Both Magnus and Taako nearly give themselves whiplash turning to stare at Lucas Miller, who looks like he already regrets speaking. 

“Dude, we’ve talked about this.”

“Right, sorry. It’s just that I know the security out there better than anyone, and let me tell you, there’s no possible way to sneak out. And even if you did there’s nothing around for miles on miles, it’s suicide.”

“How did you get so knowledgeable about this place’s security?” Taako shifts on the bed so he’s laying on his stomach with his feet in the air. 

“My mom designed it. Take my word for it, the only way out is to die.”

“Jesus, Lucas. That’s really fucking morbid,” Magnus shakes his head and turns to Taako, “You could also be expelled, but that never happens.”

Lucas nods, seemingly in thought, “The last person to get expelled was this girl named Renee who attacked some dude with a jackhammer.” 

“But that was years ago, way before my time,” asserts Magnus.

Despite the rarity that is getting expelled, Taako can feel the wheels of his brain start to turn.

“Well, I’ve always been known for doing the impossible,” says Taako with a smirk. 

Magnus and Lucas share a worried look. 

Both boys can’t help but wonder if their new roommate is going to get them in a shit ton of trouble. 

The smirk on Taako’s face tells them instantly that yes, yes he is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes, so it's been awhile. Super sorry about that y'all, but your girl has not been able to write, for real. I've got some severe writers block, it's gone now tho! I'm real inspired cause I just watched "Clueless" and nothing makes me want to write more than Cher Horowitz.   
> Hope this is good! I can never tell because I'm insanely critical of my self!


	4. Real Wild Child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pranks begin and Taako meets a handsome stranger.

“Taako, you can’t wear that,” Magnus huffs out as he hurriedly slips on his uniform tie. Magnus turns to Lucas’s corner of the room, hoping to find an ally, but the nerdlord is already gone. Lup is busy poking at a few of Lucas’s experiments, which Magnus already told her was a bad idea. She doesn’t seem to care.

“Why not? I look hot as hell, right Lulu?” Taako doesn’t look away from his reflection in the mirror that’s mounted on the back of the door to their room. He thinks he looks rather good, especially considering that he only had about an hour to make the necessary adjustments to the BRA uniform. 

“Oh for sure, that skirt looks way better on you than on me. My hips are better suited for tennis skirts, that wrap monstrosity only looks good on people without any curves. Like you.” 

“Fuck off.”

“You’re gonna get in trouble. I’m not exactly a hall monitor, but this is just dumb. And I know you’re planning on getting expelled for some fucking reason, but this won’t do the trick, it’s just gonna piss everyone off.” 

“The only people this banger of an outfit is gonna piss off is people with poor fashion taste.”

“But that’s like everyone!”

Taako shrugs, “Their loss. Besides, this isn’t part of the expulsion plan, I’m wearing a skirt because the khakis they gave me are horrendous.”

Magnus frowns, briefly glancing at his own khakis.

“Don’t feel bad big guy,” Lup smacks Magnus on the shoulder, “You’ve got the thighs to fill those pants out. When Taako wears them he just looks like depressed spaghetti. Or the personification of insurance agents.” 

“Jesus, why is it suddenly roast Taako day?”

“Because your dumbass finally managed to land us in a place with heat and working plumbing and people who look at us like we could be something. And for some crazy reason you want to get fucking expelled!.” After her outburst, Lup crosses her arms tight across her chest and furiously stares out the window at Merle tending the plants far below. 

When Taako had proposed his idea earlier this morning Lup had seemed on board, he narrows his eyes that the sudden change in attitude. 

“Hey, Mags? Give us a minute, won’t you?” 

“This is my room!” 

“Magnus.”

“Yeah, fine.”

He swings his blazer over his arm and picks up his backpack, “It’s getting pretty late anyway, hurry up or you’ll miss breakfast.” He casts his gaze at the twins, but ducks out of the room without another word.  

Taako and Lup stand in silence for a few moments before Taako crosses the room to his sister.

“What gives? You were onboard like five minutes ago?”

“I dunno, maybe I’ve been thinking about it for the past half-hour and decided you’re insane.” 

“Come on Lulu. We both know that we’ve found ourselves in nice places before, but they always eventually decide that we aren’t what they are looking for. How many times have we started over? How many homes have we had?” Taako places his chin on Lup’s shoulder and joins her in watching Merle, “Every single one of those places kicked us out. Every single friend we’ve ever made has ditched us once they tire of playing with the shiny new toys. This place isn’t any different.”

Taako’s chest feels heavy, like someone is pressing his organs into his ribcage, but he’s no stranger to this sensation. He feels it whenever someone talks about home or family or something permanent. Three things Taako and Lup have only ever found in one another. When he and Lup were kids they dreamed of their “happily ever afters”. They used to construct elaborate fantasies in which they would find a family that loved them as is and accepted them wholeheartedly, but after a while those fantasies became more painful than helpful. Taako has long since given up on a happy ending, or even a happy middle. 

“All we have is each other Lu.”

“Yeah, I know. I love you or whatever.”

Taako laughs, his heart still aching, “I sort of love you too, asshole.” 

Lup wipes her eyes with the back of her hand and heaves out a wet laugh, “Come on Koko, let’s go show this place just what the Taaco twins are made of.”

\---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----

Lup can feel the stares. She’s used to it by now, not even infrequent showers can hide the fact that Taako and Lup are hot. Also, Lup’s sure the sight of a boy in a skirt and thigh highs is unusual for the BRA, she figures they’ll get used to it eventually. 

Well, that’s if Taako and Lup are around long enough for the student body to adapt. The thought of leaving so soon weighs on Lup, so far the BRA seems sort of dope. Carey and Killian are pretty great roommates, they even asked Lup if she wants to join the field hockey team, and if all the teachers are like Barry then class won’t be so bad. 

But Taako’s right and she knows it, soon this place will reject them just like all the others.

It just makes sense to reject the BRA first. 

As the twins enter the dining hall they hear a shout that echoes throughout the high-ceilinged room, “Taako! Lup!”

Sure enough, sitting at a mostly full table is a frantically waving Magnus. 

“Look at that, he saved us seats.” 

“What a doll.”

Taako and Lup make their way across the crowded space, Lup manages to catch a few accidental elbows to the stomach, Taako doesn’t fair much better. Walking arm in arm with Taako is a power move for sure, but it’s definitely not at all practical. About halfway across the room Lup sees a familiar face sitting at what she assumes is the teacher table.

“Hey, Taako.” Lup nudges her brother.

“What?” Taako is obviously distracted, he’s much too busy studying the food to be paying attention to his sister, he keeps muttering something that sounds like ‘the sausage looks way too much like a gerbil’. 

“I’m gonna say ‘hello’ to Barry real quick, I’ll meet you at the table.” 

That catches Taako’s attention, “Barold? Why the hell would you want to talk to someone who’s formal attire is entirely made of denim?” 

“First of all, you can’t possibly know if that’s true. And second, he’s a student teacher Taako, being nice to him is just strategic.” 

“Yeah, right.” Taako snorts, “It’s a good thing we’re eighteen, you absolute mess.”

Lup gapes after her brother as he sashays off towards Magnus and his friends, “That is absolutely not what’s going on! Taako!” Lup can feel the blush on her face and curses profusely under her breath. 

“Lup? Are you alright? You look pretty red.”

Lup whips her head around to see Barry himself standing in front of her, a concerned expression on his face, “I’m totally fine. Taako can just be the worst sometimes.”

Barry gives her a crooked smile, “I noticed your rather...unique relationship last night. I bet it keeps things interesting.”

“Oh Barold. You must be an only sibling, ‘cause the way Taako and I antagonize each other is nothing special, let me tell you. This is actually just how siblings are with each other.”

That makes Barry laugh, Lup is mortified to find that she really likes his laugh. It’s deep, and gravelly like his voice. Lup can feel her cheeks getting warm.

“Super good catching up with you, but if I want to eat anything I should probably get going.” 

“Oh man, I hope I didn’t keep you from breakfast.” Barry glances at the clock and looks legitimately concerned, “Nah, I’ll be fine. Plenty of time left.”

“Good.” Both Barry and Lup go quiet for a moment before Barry speaks up, “I almost forgot the reason I came over to talk to you in the first place, I thought I’d offer to help you and Taako out if you need it. I mean, I know how smart y’all are, but it’s like a month into school and I figured even the two of you might want help. So...uh… you know where to find me I guess.” 

“Uh...yeah… I mean if we have any trouble we’ll definitely come to you.”

“Good.”

They go quiet again, discomfort heavy in the air.

“Well...bye.” Lup turns quickly on her heel and practically sprints towards Taako and Magnus, she slides onto the wooden bench directly next to Taako and lets out the breath she was holding.

“Wow. You’re chill as hell Lulu. That was really good, Magnus and I were taking notes.”

“Taking notes on what?” Magnus asks through a mouthful of eggs and bacon.

“Nothing my man.” Taako wrinkles his nose and points at Magnus’s mouth, “That shit’s gross as fuck. Close your damn mouth, you heathen.”

Magnus just chews even more obnoxiously as Lup stews in her embarrassment. 

“I’m not even kidding Maggie, close your fucking mouth. I have never heard more atrocious chewing noises and I worked in a shitty Mexican restaurant, so that’s saying something.” 

Magnus is distracted from Taako’s disgust when an Asian boy with tan skin and a short ponytail sits down next to him.

“Avi! I thought you weren’t going to make it!”

The boy, Avi, smiles thinly, “Sorry Magnus, Johann wasn’t feeling great this morning so I stuck around to make sure he’d get out of bed.”

“Did he?”

“Yeah, he’ll be in class. So who are these guys?” Avi turns to Taako and Lup with a brighter smile on his face.

“This is my new roommate Taako, he doesn’t like it when you chew with your mouth open, and that’s his sister Lup, she’s embarrassed for some reason and Taako thinks it’s funny.”

“Okay, nobody likes it when you chew with your mouth open. That is a fact.” Taako’s retort makes both Avi and Lup laugh, Magnus just grins broadly. 

_ Oh, fuck,  _ thinks Taako.

_ No, I’m not supposed to like these people. _

Taako is spared from dealing with his feelings when Lucretia stands up at the head table and a hush falls over the gathered students. Taako gazes up at the assembled teachers in interest, they all look pretty normal, except Merle of course. The counselor is seated next to a short man with a truly astounding orange mustache, Taako can’t believe that color is natural, but the color of his hair seems to indicate the truth. Barry is at the far end of the table, looking as uncomfortable as always. 

“I’ll keep this short, I know most of you don’t want to spend your free time listening to me talk,” mumbled agreement breaks out over the students, “There are a few short announcements this morning. I’m happy announce that the pool is officially reopened, let’s keep it clean this time around folks.”

Taako leans across the table towards Avi and Magnus, “What was wrong with the pool?”

Magnus grimaces, “They found a dead rat in the filter. A bunch of freshman were in the pool at the time, it was really gross and loud, all their screams were so shrill.” 

Taako smirks, the beginnings of a plan forming in his mind. Lup gives her brother a knowing look and the two share a sly smile. 

At the head of the room Lucretia has just finished talking, she sits down with a small smile. The students immediately continue their interrupted conversations. 

“So,” Avi starts, “What do your schedules look like?”

Lup waves her hand dismissively, “There’s nothing too hard. We both start the day off with a study hall, so basically an hour long nap.” 

“Damn, that’s nice. Magnus and I have English first, hopefully he won’t stare at the back of Julia Waxmen’s head the entire time today.” Avi laughs and elbows Magnus in the gut.

Magnus immediately turns bright red, “I don’t stare at her!” Magnus elbows Avi right back, sending the smaller boy into a cascade of loud coughing, “I’m not creepy, I swear. Julia’s just the best.” Taako grimaces at the moony look Magnus is wearing, “She’s really smart, and she’s the star of the field hockey team, but she doesn’t let it go to her head. And she’s so beautiful. You guys, Julia is soooo beautiful.” Magnus leans across the table and grabs hold of Taako’s arm. 

“Ah no. Taako is a hands free zone.”

“Sorry Taako.” 

“So, where is this goddess?” Lup smirks and turns around to look at everyone in the room, “I don’t see any halos.” 

“Funny Lup. But she’s not here, the field hockey team practices during breakfast.”

Taako wrinkles his nose, “Gross.” He looks to Lup, expecting her to back him up, but she actually looks interested.

“Is the team any good?”

Avi nearly chokes on his cereal, “Oh, god no. We suck. I don’t think we’ve won a game since the nineties.”

Lup frowns, “But I thought you said Julia was the ‘star’ of the field hockey team?”

“She is. Julia’s the only one who ever scores goals. Well, her and Carey.”

Taako snorts out some derisive laughter, but Lup just looks confused. 

“What about Kilian? She’s huge! How can she  _ not _ score?”

“She always gets fouled out. Too physical.” Avi explains. 

Lup sits back in her chair, shocked and a little disappointed. Taako notices and despite the fact that he desperately wants to escape this hellhole, he hates seeing his sister in a bad mood. He sits up in his chair and flips his long blonde ponytail over his shoulder, “Well, it sounds like the team needs a new perspective.”

Three pairs of eyes turn to Taako, “I’m just saying, a fresh face would shake things up a bit, the other team won’t know what hit them. Honestly, I’d be perfect because I shake things up wherever I go, just look at what I’m wearing.” Taako gestures to the high waisted skirt and the hastily cropped blouse he spent all morning arranging, “Unforch, I’m a dude.” He flicks his lazy gaze over to his sister and shrugs casually, “Maybe you should try out Lup. I mean, I’m defo the hotter and smarter twin, but you’d work in a pinch.”

“Wow Taako, I didn’t know you could be so charitable,” Lup rolls her eyes, “Maybe I will try out, or whatever, but not because you told me to.” She shrugs, her curly brown hair bouncing against her shoulders with the movement, “I just think it’d be fun.” 

“That’d be awesome!” Magnus sounds entirely too excited at the prospect of Lup playing field hockey, “My best friend, Carey, plays; I could totally ask her to keep an eye on you, if you want.” 

“It’s just field hockey Magnus, I don’t need anyone watching my back.”

“You’d be surprised.” Avi mutters, slipping something that looks suspiciously like whiskey into his coke bottle. 

“Trust me, I can handle whatever’s thrown at me.” Lup and Taako smile at each other. It’s a private smile, one that wordlessly explains that Lup doesn’t need anyone to watch her back because she’s already got Taako, and vice versa. 

\---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----

Taako and Lup never make it to their study hall, halfway down the hallway he pushes Lup into an empty handicap bathroom and locks the door. Taako has much bigger plans than an early morning nap. 

“We’re doing  _ what _ ?” 

“Oh come on, Lulu. It’s perfect and you know it, they just finished cleaning the pool it’d be absolutely delicious if they had to clean it again.”

“I’m not disputing that, your plan is brilliant-”

“Natch.”

“Don’t interrupt me, asshole.”

Taako makes a rude face which Lup mimics, “The issue with your plan is that I have no idea how we are supposed to catch rat within the next hour.” 

“That’s a fair point.” Taako thinks for a moment, “What if it wasn’t a rat? What if we emptied all the grass clippings from when Merle mowed the lawn this morning into the pool?” 

“That’s juvenile shit and you know it.”

“Well I’m not about to use the good shit right off the bat. We gotta build up to that.”

“Still, grass clippings is pretty lame.”

“Then what do you suggest?” Taako asks, slightly pissed off.

“It doesn’t have to actually be a rat.”

“Why didn’t I think of that? Let me go grab my paper mache kit real quick and I’ll whip up a fake rat.” 

“No, you dumbass. Remember what you said about the sausage this morning? That it looked like a gerbil?”

It’s like a lightbulb goes off above Taako’s head, “You evil genius.” 

“Thank me later.”

By the time first period is over Taako and Lup are nearly crying from laughter. Lup has no idea what is in those sausages because somehow, through some miracle, they float. Lup stumbles into the padded walls of the indoor pool, laughing so hard she can barely see straight. 

“Hey Lup, check it out. My masterpiece.” Taako gestures proudly to an absurdly large sausage that is propped up against a foldable mat, it has been stabbed through with a pencil that has a little pennant attached to it. Lup has to get closer to read what is written on the tiny, handmade flag. The pennant reads, “Rat’s are people too!” and is marked with both of their names. 

Lup is so busy laughing at Taako’s idiocy that she almost misses the sound of a class of freshman heading into the room. Fortunately, Taako acts quickly and drags Lup out the side door just as the gym teacher enters through the main entrance.

It’s hard to miss the horrified screams of a dozen 14 years olds being confronted by the possibility that they ate rat meat sausage for breakfast. But if anything can drown them out it’s the exuberant laughter of Taako and Lup. 

\---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----

Taako’s honestly a little surprised at how long it takes for him to be dragged into Lucretia’s office. When he gets there, Lup is already sitting down and Lucretia is holding the pencil and flag. 

“‘Rat’s are people too’.” Lucretia reads off the paper, disappointment clouding every word.

“Glad you agree.” 

Lucretia sighs deeply and turns to look at Lup and Taako, “I don’t know whether you’re the two most incompetent pranksters I’ve ever met or whether you wanted to get in trouble. Either way, I’m rather let down.” 

“Are we about to get the ‘I’m not angry, I’m disappointed’ speech? ‘Cause I dunno about you Taako, but I’ve always wanted to be on the receiving end of one of those.”

“Detention.”

“Sorry, what was that  _ Lucretia _ ? Did you say detention?” Taako doesn’t look the least bit upset about this turn of events.

“Yes, I did say detention. Separate detentions in fact.” She looks down her nose at the two of them in what Lup assumes is an attempt to look intimidating, but it’s easy to tell that Lucretia hates this part of her job. 

“Taako you will be painting the entirety of the dormitory hallways, your detention is over when you finish.” Taako splutters, indignant. 

“As for you Lup, you get to help Merle with his yard work.” 

“You’re kidding! That’s not a detention, that’s manual labor. Actually, I think this qualifies as cruel and unusual punishment.”

“This is not a normal school and we do not teach normal students. It is well within my purview to assign you such tasks, and if you have a problem with my judgement then don’t get in trouble.” 

Lucretia takes a seat and waves a hand towards the door, “Get back to class. You’ve already missed enough.” 

\---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----

Taako’s arm has been aching for the past two hours and he’s barely made any progress. The girl’s wing is done, but he still has to do the connecting wing, which is home to the teachers, and the boys wing. 

Hearing the students talking about his prank all day had been great, Magnus would not stop demanding details during Statistics, but this? 

This was torture. 

Lucretia definitely knows what she’s doing, if Taako wasn’t determined to get expelled this detention would have severely deterred him. 

Every few minutes students will walk past Taako and stare until they round a corner or disappear into a room. Usually Taako wouldn’t mind, but he’s not looking as good as he normally does. Taako is wearing baggy mom jeans and a too large white Oxford, he’s sure both are covered in white paint. Even more annoying is the dried paint he can feel on his skin. 

Taako sighs as he climbs the rickety ladder he was provided. He reaches as high as he can, which isn’t very high, this was honestly the worst part in Taako’s opinion, especially because the ladder is slightly off kilter so this simple task is made perilous. 

He goes to dismount the ladder, but something goes wrong. His foot finds no step to balance on and Taako pitches backwards, instead of falling to the ground in a very embarrassing fashion Taako is surprised to find a cold hand supporting his lower back. 

“Are you alright?”, asks a concerned Cockney accented voice.

“I dunno, I’ll let you know when my heart stops trying to break free from my chest.”

Another cold hand gently lands on Taako’s elbow and guides him off the ladder. Taako turns to thank his rescuer, but the words die in his throat. Taako has never seen such a beautiful boy, and that includes in the mirror. The strangers’ skin is dark and breathtakingly clear, Taako has half a mind to demand his skincare regimen, and his eyes are a warm cinnamon, with vague hints of red. His hair is in dreads, most of which are contained in a bun at the nape of his neck, but he has a few strands loose around his face.

Somehow this asshole even manages to make the dreary red and gray uniform look good. 

“Thanks for the rescue my man,” Taako struggles to keep his voice even, “Woulda died without you.”

The boy laughs awkwardly and Taako could almost swears he blushes, “I doubt you would have died, but I’m glad I was able to spare you a nasty fall.”

Taako frowns and narrows his eyes at the boy in front of him, “Dude, what happened to your accent?”

This time Taako is sure the other boy blushes, “Ah, sorry. That’s my anxiety accent.”

The laugh that bursts out of Taako is sort, but genuine.

“You have an anxiety accent?”

“Occasionally, why are you painting?” It’s obvious that he wants to change the subject, Taako acquiesces, this time.

“I got detention. Apparently, Lucretia doesn’t like it when you mess with her pool. My name’s Taako by the way.” 

“You’re the one who put the sausage in the pool?” His eyes grow almost comically large at that revelation.

“The one and only. I mean, technically my sister helped, but I’m the mastermind.”

“Do you want help? With the painting. Not the pranks.” 

That catches Taako off guard, “You’re willingly volunteering for this hell?”

“I don’t have anything better to do and I figure it’ll go faster with two.” He smiles at Taako and bends to pick up a brush.

“I’m Kravitz.” He announces, extending his hand to Taako. 

“Nice to meet you Kravitz.”

“The pleasure is mine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is the longest thing I've ever written, that isn't school work. This one is a monster of a chapter y'all, sorry that it gets sort of shitty at the end I'm real tired and the only way I write in is one sitting. And I don't have an editor, which y'all have probably picked up on.  
> Hope you like it!


	5. Sweet About Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Boy Detective is consulted and Lup takes a shot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads up, there is a brief, tiny, blink-and-you'll-miss-it reference to transphobia. I put stars before and after it, be safe!

Lup has never considered herself a tree hugger. Sure there’s a few plants that she likes, mostly ones that go into food... and weed, but she’s never felt passionately about the environment. However, after one detention with Merle Lup gets the all powerful and violent urge to burn down every last plant within the gates of the Balance Reformatory Academy.

The manual labor was bad enough, but if Lup hears Merle flirt with one more plant she’s gonna lose her mind. 

The only bright spot in the eternal detention was when Merle brought her around back to mow the lawn and Lup got to watch the field hockey team practice. 

After only a few minutes Lup could see their problem clear as day, there was no coordination between the girls. Everyone was playing their own game with their own rules. It’s in that moment that Lup decides these girls need her desperately. 

Sweat is rolling down her back and the knees of her leggings are caked in dirt when she finally gets back inside. All she wants is to take a long shower and collapse into bed, unfortunately there is a rather large obstacle in her way.

“Lup! Hey! How was detention?” Magnus jogs over to her, waving goodbye to a short black kid who stares at Lup in interest. 

Lup ignores the kid and turns to Magnus, “Hell. I had to work with Merle and now I know way too much about his plant fetish.”

Magnus winces in sympathy, “Yeah, you get weirdly used to it.”

“God I hope not.” Lup starts walking towards the staircase to the second floor, hoping Magnus will leave her alone, but he follows her along.

“Well, I guess you probably won’t ‘cause you’re trying to get expelled.” Lup smacks Magnus on the arm, “Say that a little louder, I didn’t quite catch that.”

He squints in suspicion, “I’m getting the vibe that you’re being sarcastic.”

“Yes Magnus, I’m being sarcastic. If Lucretia finds out we want to be expelled she’ll be more opposed to the idea, ‘cause she’d just be giving us what we want.” 

“Right, I’m not sure that The Director is that petty, though.”

Lup stares at him and then gestures to her dirty leggings. 

“You make a good point.”

“Fuck yeah I do.”

“Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that I know I said that I didn’t want to help you get expelled, but Carey and I were talking-”

“Wait,” Lup stops halfway up the stairs and turns to Magnus, “Did you tell Carey about our plan?”

“Technically, yes.”

“Magnus!”

“I only told her because I thought you already had! I thought it was like a roommate plot or something. I’m really sorry that I spilled your secret, but some good did come out of it. Carey said that her and Killian are gonna help you, she said you seemed so bummed out last night and they just want to help.”

Lup feels that right in her stomach, “She said that?”

“Yeah, and it got me thinking that it’s dumb that I’m not helping too.” Magnus gestures around the empty halls of the BRA, “Before I came here I rushed into everything. I rushed into danger and into adventure alike, that’s who I am! I don’t think, I charge in without looking, for better or worse. I’ve lost some of that because of how much I don’t want to screw this whole thing up, but staying here isn’t worth it if I’m not  _ me _ anymore. You know? I’ve gotta find that balance, ironically, and I think getting you guys expelled will really help. If you and Taako will have me that is.” 

“That was truly beautiful Magnus. Unforch, Carey and Killian took the last two spots in our Task Force. Sorry man.”

“You’re joking, right?”

“Of course I’m joking, you’re really gonna have to get better at this if you’re gonna be hanging around both Taako and I.”

Not a lot of people in the past have put effort into getting to know the twins weird habits and speech patterns. 

“I’ll do my best.”

But part of Lup knows that Magnus actually will. 

\---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----

The painting goes a lot faster with Kravitz helping, he’s got a few inches on Taako so reaches the spots near the ceiling with a lot less effort. It’s more fun too, Kravitz is a bumbling mess who gets large globs of paint on his uniform and grins proudly whenever he gets Taako to laugh. He’s also surprisingly easy to talk to, Taako gives him a brief, censored version of his life story and Kravitz listens attentively the whole time. Kravitz in turn tells Taako about a funny accident that occurred in his Pottery class a few weeks before. 

Also, he’s hot as fuck. 

When he takes off his jacket and rolls up his sleeves to expose his forearms Taako nearly passes out.

Taako can’t help but feel a little underdressed in his painting clothes, but he does his best to make do with what he’s got. 

It’s just past six when Kravitz drags his brush over the last patch of unpainted wall, he gestures to the spot with a flourish and Taako golf claps in response. 

“It’s a masterpiece.”

Kravitz climbs down from the ladder and wipes his face with the back of his hand, leaving white paint behind in the process, “I’d hope so, we’ve been painting for hours.”

“Correction Handsome, I’ve been painting for hours. You’ve been painting for like an hour and a half.”

Kravitz blushes fiercely and stumbles into the recently painted wall when Taako calls him handsome. 

Taako laughs aloud at that and bends over, placing his hands on his knees, “Krav, my man, you’re absolutely covered in paint.”

“I noticed.” Kravitz looks displeased with his ruined uniform, but is smiling nonetheless. 

“I hope you have more than one of those, because no amount of tide sticks is gonna be enough to fix that mess.”

“Fortunately I have a few. This is not the first time I’ve destroyed a uniform.”

“That sounds like an interesting story, you should tell it to me sometime.”

“I’d like that.”

“Dope, want my number?”

“Uh, phones aren’t allowed during the weekdays.”

“I meant my room number, homie.”

“Oh! Yeah, for sure. That’d be great.” He sends Taako a charming, slightly awestruck, smile and Taako has to grab the ladder to stay upright.

“Right, okay, so I’m in room 217. You get that? 2-1-7.”

Kravitz chuckles, “I don’t know how I’ll ever remember so many digits.”

“That’s why I repeated it.”

“How considerate.”

“Well that’s ‘ol Taako for you, Mr. Considerate.” 

Kravitz laughs again and tucks a piece of hair behind his ear, “It’s been lovely getting to know you Taako, I really should be going though.”

“I get it, you’ve got other plans. Taako’s not the priority.” Kravitz splutters at that, “It was a joke. Now get out of here, you big dork.” Taako makes shooing motions with his hands and Kravitz seems to obey.

When he gets about thirty feet away Kravitz turns back to Taako and shouts out, “I meant what I said you know. It really was lovely.” 

Suddenly Taako understands why old-timey ladies invested in fainted couches. 

Before Taako can respond, Kravitz rounds the corner and is out of sight. 

“I hope you don’t let that go to your head.” Taako spins on his heal, his heart pounding for approximately the 1000th time in the past hour. In the doorway, to what Taako assumes is his room, stands a tall, skinny boy with stringy brown hair and circular glasses perched on the tip of his nose. Taako wrinkles his nose at the poor hair care on display and the flashy rainbow bow tie that adorns this greasy boy’s neck. 

“Excuse me? Who the fuck are you?”   
The other boy bristles at Taako’s caustic tone, “I’m Jenkins, the Head Boy-”

“You’re gonna have to lie better than that, I know we aren’t at fucking Hogwarts.”

“Head Boy is a real position that Joanne Rowling appropriated for her seminal series,” He explains this in a tone that likens Taako to a particularly dim toddler, “She did not invent the term.”

“That’s a really cool talent you have there Jenko.”

“What talent?”

“You went from a regular dick to a pretentious dick in like a second.”

“That isn’t a real talent and I think you should treat me with more respect. I am your superior, it is a truly awful decision to make me your enemy.”

“Sure, whatever you say Hogwarts.” 

“I’ll go to the Director if you continue to behave in such a despicable manner, and if you even attempt to drag Kravitz down with your idiotic activities I’ll make your life hell.”

“You gonna curse me?”

“No, I don’t have magic powers-”

“Kind of a shitty wizard.”

“I’m  _ not _ a wizard. And you’re going to regret treating me so flippantly. I’ll be breathing down your neck until you graduate and that is not a place you want to be.” 

“I’ll say, your breath sucks.”

Jenkins looks ready to strangle Taako, but instead just slams the door to his room shut. 

“Bitch ass.” Taako mutters under his breath. The painting supplies are still littered around the hallway and Taako reluctantly bends to pick them up. But there is something much more interesting than paint encrusted paintbrushes on the floor.

“Oh, fuck yes.”

\---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----

“Lup, I’m going to kill you.” 

“No you aren’t, you’d be too bored if I was dead. Now get up, Killian and Carey managed to convince the field hockey groupchat to let me try out and if you aren’t there to cheer me on I’ll be severely disappointed.”

“It’s six in the morning Lulu. The only people awake right now are psychopaths and masochists.” 

“Then you’ll fit right in.”

Taako chucks his pillow at his sister, but he misses and the pillow instead hits Lucas, who is already up and doing homework. 

“Watch it you guys, I’m studying.”

“Shut up Nerdlord.”

“That’s a little unnecessary.”

Lup groans and flops down on top of her brother, “Pleeeeeeease Taako? I really want you there.”

Taako rolls his eyes, “Of course you do, but I’m still super sore from detention yesterday and I also don’t want to.”

“Come on Koko.” Then she whispers to him, “I need you to be there Taako, I’m not sure I’ll be able to do this without someone in my corner.”

*

Lup has always had a sketchy relationship with organized sports, especially when they aren’t co-ed. Honestly, Taako feels bad he didn’t think of it sooner.

*

“Fine. But you owe me big time.” 

“Deal. You hear that Magnus? He’s in!” 

“Yeah! This is gonna be great, Taako and I can hang out in the bleachers and watch you kick ass.”

Taako rolls out from under his sister and begins to fix his hair, “And I’m sure none of your excitement is because you’ll get to watch Julia in action.”

“Absolutely not, that’d be creepy and I don’t ever want Julia to feel uncomfortable because of me.”

“That’s actually kind of sweet.” Lup says as Taako disappears into the adjoining bathroom. 

“Thanks! I’m a feminist.”

“Dope, me too.” 

Lup and Magnus high-five, the resounding smack noise is loud enough to make Lucas jump. 

“I miss the days when I was the only one awake before seven. This room used to be peaceful and now we’re breaking the rules by having a girl in here.” 

“Loosen up Lucas! Jesus.”

He only sneers at Lup and Magnus before dramatically exiting the room. 

“I get the feeling he’s not gonna loosen up.”

“He hasn’t in all the time I’ve known him.” 

Taako sweeps back into the room wearing a pair of too large khakis that he has somehow altered to have a paper bag waist, a white oxford with the top two buttons undone, and a uniform jacket that is a size too big and covered in paint. 

“That’s an interesting fashion statement.”

“I spent like four hours on these pants, so don’t even try it Lulu.” 

“Actually I was talking about the blazer. You dip it in a paint can?”

“I think it looks cool.” Magnus chimes in and Taako smiles victoriously, “See Lulu, some people know fashion when they see it.” 

“I dunno, even with the edgy distressed coat those khakis still make you look like Jake from State Farm.” 

“Are you going to make fun of my outfit every morning?” 

“Probably.”

“Well, you’re going to be late to a lot of field hockey practices then.”

“Holy shit! Field hockey!” Lup tears out of the room like it’s on fire, leaving a stunned Magnus and an annoyed Taako in her wake. 

“We should follow her, right?”

“I guess, I mean it’s not like I can go back to bed at this point.” Taako swings his bag onto his shoulder and marches out of the room, Magnus locks up behind him and then jogs to keep up. 

It’s silent for only a moment before Taako turns to Magnus and adopts a disinterested tone, “So, hypothetically, if I wanted to know what someone did to wind up here, who would I talk to?” 

Magnus thinks for a moment, “Well, all the teachers know, but they aren’t supposed to tell anyone so I doubt you’d be able to get it out of any of them. Jenkins, the Head Boy, would know-”

“We’ve met. He is not a Taako fan. Please tell me there’s someone else? Or at least point me towards a conveniently unlocked computer that has every single student record on it.”

“Angus would probably know, now that I think about it. Angus knows everything.” 

“Great, perfect, can you point him out to me at breakfast?”

“Angus doesn’t eat breakfast, he spends mornings in the library. What is this all about by the way? Why are you so desperate?” Magnus asks with a teasing lilt to his voice.

“Can’t see how that’s any of your business.”

“Can’t see how it isn’t.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Doesn’t it?”   
“No. It doesn’t.” 

“But what if it did?” Magnus mimes an explosion around his head, forcing a serious expression even though it’s clear he wants to laugh at the annoyance on Taako’s face.

“Shut up and watch field hockey.” The pair sit on the bleachers and Taako locks onto Lup, who is nodding along to what another girl is saying.

“That’s Julia.” 

“What?”

“That girl Lup is talking to, that’s Julia.”

“Who?”

“You know exactly who Julia is. Oh! There’s Carey. CAREY!” Magnus stands up and waves wildly towards his self proclaimed best friend. 

“MAGNUS!” Carey smiles and holds up the necklace she’s currently wearing. Magnus returns the gesture and Carey ‘whoops’ loudly in response, “That’s my best friend.”

“Yeah buddy, I know. You’re literally wearing a best friends necklace right now.” 

“When she and Killian get married I’m gonna be the best man, I might even get to walk her down the aisle.”

“Are they thinking a spring wedding?”

“No, fall. That’s their favorite season.” Magnus clearly does not notice Taako’s sarcasm, but Taako is in turn surprised to hear a legitimate answer.

“They’re already thinking about marriage? Aren’t they a little young?”

“Well, with the direction climate change is headed they aren’t sure they’ll have the time to wait.”

“What? Really?”

“Now who doesn’t understand sarcasm?”

Taako laughs aloud at that, “That wasn’t bad Burnsides.” 

“Thanks. Look! Lup’s playing.”

Sure enough, Lup is sprinting across the grass chasing after a ball she hit a little too hard, a girl with a prosthetic leg goes to block her, but Lup just dodges like that girl wasn’t even there. For ten minutes Taako watches his sister continuously lose the ball and then out maneuver everyone to get it back, only to lose it again. 

“Is this going well? I can’t tell?”

Magnus hums, “Lup’s faster and more agile that the others, but she’s really bad at ball handling. That’s okay though, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses at the beginning. Also, they can use all the players they can get. It’s not like their record is gonna get any worse.”

“Please never say ‘ball handling’ again.”

“It felt wrong the moment I said it.”

On the field, Julia raises a hand and calls Lup to her side. Both Taako and Magnus stand, like that will somehow allow them to know what’s being said. But they don’t need super hearing to hear Lup’s squeal of delight. Carey and Killian shout loudly in support and wrap Lup in an embrace that the rest of the team joins. 

“C’mon Taako! Let’s go over there and join the hug.”

“Absolutely not, it’ll wrinkle my outfit.”

“Lame.” Magnus stays at Taako’s side, but looks longingly at the group hug. 

They split apart and Lup darts over to Magnus and Taako, “I assume you’ve heard the news,  _ little sister _ ?”

Lup pulls up short and scrunches her eyebrows together, “Ah, no?”

“The Balance Reformatory Academy field hockey team is about to make a comeback.”

“Did you just say something nice?” Magnus asks, incredulous. 

“Me? Never. Anyway, I’ve gotta go to the library and you’ve got practice.” Taako tucks a piece of hair behind his ear, “Proud of you.”

“What was that? I didn’t quite hear you,  _ little brother _ .” 

“You might want to get your ears checked, I didn’t say anything.” Taako walks backwards away from Lup and Magnus, who sits back down.

“Sure you didn’t. I hate you!”

“Hate you too!” Taako flips Lup off as he turns around and enters the building. 

\---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----

The library is nearly empty at 6:45 in the morning, Leon shoots Taako a withering look as Taako walks past his big circular desk. 

“Hey Leon, got a pencil I can borrow?”

“Fresh out.” Leon says as he inserts a pencil into an electric sharpener.

“I love our conversations.”

As Taako walks away he swears he can see Leon mouth ‘I hate you’. 

There’s only two people sitting at the big wooden tables that take up the center of the library, one is a short black kid and the other is a girl with long red hair. Taako swears under his breath, disappointed that he seems to have missed ‘Angus’.

Although, Taako supposes the library is pretty big. Angus could be tucked into some corner somewhere for all he knows. 

Taako bites his lip and walks over to the redheaded girl, “Hey, I’m looking for some nerd named Angus? You know if he’s here?” 

The girl looks surprised that Taako is talking to her, “Uh, yeah. That’s him over there.” She points to the kid.

“No, the other Angus.”

“There isn’t another Angus.”

“His feet don’t touch the floor.” 

She’s pissed now, “Well, I don’t know what to tell you, but I’m trying to study.” She glares at him and looks back to her book, refusing to even glance in his direction.

“Thanks for the help, I guess.”

This school is so fucking weird. 

Taako reluctantly sits down across from Angus, “Your name is Angus, right?”

‘Angus’ puts down his book and studies Taako, there is something very unnerving about his gaze, “Yes, sir. I’m Angus MacDonald and you’re Taako.”

That catches Taako off guard, “Yeah, I am. You’ve heard of me then?”

“Oh yes, Mr. Jenkins really dislikes you. I’d be careful, he can be very spiteful and he isn’t afraid to throw the little power he’s earned during his tenure as Head Boy.” 

“You know Jenkins, huh?”

“I sure do, sir. He’s supposed to look out for me because I’m a little flesh boy and he’s In Charge, but he really doesn’t know how to handle me.”

“You just called yourself a ‘flesh boy’, so I kinda get where Jenkins is coming from on that one. He still sucks ass tho.”

“I can not disagree with that, sir.”

“You gotta stop that, little man. Calling me ‘sir’ is super weird, if I didn’t know better I’d say you were the final boss.” Taako leans back in his chair

“I don’t know what that means.”

“Of course you don’t.” Taako sighs heavily, “Anyway, I came here for a reason. Magnus says that you’re the kid to go to if I want to know why someone ended up here. Is that true?”   
“Bragging is for narcissists, sir. But yes, I’m really very smart.”

“Sick. Love that. You’ve defo got a distinct energy and it weirds me out a little bit, but I don’t want to look a horse in the mouth or whatever.” 

“So this person you’re investigating, what’s their name?”

“Kravitz. I don’t know if that’s a first or last name, but it’s a small school so I figure that’s enough.”

“That’s more than enough, sir, everyone knows Kravitz.”

“That sounds bad. Is that bad?”   
“Do you know how this school got started?”

“That’s a hard no. Also, what does this have to do with Kravitz?”

“You’ll see. The person who funds this place is a woman named Raven Rey-”

“You mean Rachael Ray?”

“No, and please don’t interrupt me, sir. Back to what I was saying, Mrs. Rey and her wife decided to adopt a underprivileged child after being married for several years. After dealing with the difficulties of the adoption process and seeing the limited opportunities offered to kids like their new son they decided to start a school for those kids. Unfortunately, they couldn’t get the funding for their vision as is, so Mrs. Rey decided she would also teach the wealthy. But the people who walked in her upper class circles didn’t want their kids rubbing elbows with poor scholarship students,” Taako snorts and Angus shoots him a look, “So once again Raven was forced to adapt. She made her school a last chance academy for delinquents, poor and rich alike. That way the wealthy didn’t care about sending their kids here because they have a previous pattern of misbehavior or an ‘unbalanced lifestyle’. Mrs. Raven succeeded in creating a safe place for kids where they can get a quality education, with the added bonus of being able to keep kids from toxic family situations.”

“That’s a great story, but I still don’t know if hanging out with Kravitz is going end badly for me or not.” 

“I’m not a fortune-teller, sir. And we actually have gotten to Kravitz, he is the boy Mrs. Rey adopted.”

Taako is silent for a moment, “You’re gonna have to spell it out for me kiddo.”

“There are only three people in this school that are not considered ‘delinquents’. The first is Lucas Miller, he’s here because his mom is close to Mrs. Rey. The second is your sister, Lup, who is here because she followed you. And the third is Mr. Kravitz, who is only here because his mom's fund the place.”

Taako breathes a sigh of relief, “Thanks Agnes. That took a shit-ton of weight off of my shoulders.”

“Happy to be of help, sir! And my name is Angus by the way!”

“Right, Agno.”

“Angus.”

“D’jangus?”

“Angus.”

“Ango MacDang-”

“Really sir? Is this really necessary?”

“Lighten up, Agnes.” Taako glances at the wall clock across the way, “Shit, it’s like 7:10 already. Your pointless story took forever and a day to tell, Boy Detective.” He clambers out of his seat and peers down at Angus, “You coming to breakfast?”

“I don’t eat breakfast, I prefer to read when the library is quiet.” 

“That’s a load of bullshit. You’re smart, I’m sure you’ve heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”

“I have.”

“Then why are you skipping it bubbeleh?” 

“I-”

“Pack your shit, time to eat.” Angus stares at Taako in confusion.

“I said pack your shit. Let’s go little man, I don’t want to eat cold eggs.” Taako claps his hands to punctuate his point, “We don’t have all day kiddo.” 

Angus bursts into motion and quickly shoves all five of the books that were on the table into his bag, “I never know where to sit at breakfast because Jenkins is always doing last rounds and I usually eat with him and his friends.” 

“First off, surprised that jerk as friends. Second, that must be hell for you. Like you’re real annoying, but still, I feel bad for you. And third, if you see me you can sit next to me, but only if you promise not to be a huge pain in the ass.”

Angus beams, his whole face filling with his toothy smile, “I promise I won’t annoy you, sir!”

“You better keep that promise Ango, I will not hesitate to throw you across the room.”

“I’ll keep it sir! Swear.”

“Alright Ango. Welcome to the club.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're at 69 Kudos lads.   
> I've made it

**Author's Note:**

> (Oh, also, I had no idea what to call this fic or what to name the chapters so I just pulled up the Wild Child wikipedia page and used song titles from the soundtrack. So that's where the title and chapter names come from lol.)


End file.
